October 10, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski: 989.269.9255
On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Jeremy John Susalla, 41, of Ubly, pled guilty to:
- Child Sexually Abusive Material, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison;
- Computers-Using to Commit a Crime, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; and,
- Children-Accosting for Immoral Purposes, a felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison.
Susalla was arrested during a Human Trafficking Task Force sting initiated by the Huron County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Sanilac County Sheriff’s Offices, the Sanilac County Drug Task Force and the Bad Axe Police Department. Members of the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST), a division of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, also provided assistance.
On July 12, 2022, Susalla was texting with a person who he thought was a 15-year-old girl. During those text messages he asked about having sex with her and paying for it. However, in actuality, he was texting with an undercover officer. When Susalla arrived at the location where he believed the minor was located, law enforcement officers promptly arrested him. In addition to the officers’ observations, the text messages sent between the defendant and the undercover officer provided important evidence of his intent to have sex with a 15-year-old minor.
The following day, Prosecutor Timothy Rutkowski charged Susalla with the three felony offenses to which he ultimately pleaded guilty. Susalla will be sentenced for his crimes on December 18, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., before the Hon. Gerald M. Prill.
“The text exchange in this case clearly showed the defendant’s desire to try and have sex with someone he believed to be 15 years old,” said Prosecutor Rutkowski. “And when he was arrested, he had $250 in cash to pay for it.”
Prosecutor Rutkowski thanks Bad Axe Chief Webber, Sherriff Hanson, and the officers from both agencies, as well as the Sanilac Sheriff’s Offices, and the GHOST team members for their invaluable work in investigating and resolving this case.
